Nelson DeMille, in his rare non-working moments, likes to spend time with family and friends, often close to his Garden City home or on the East End.

Restaurants (the category he kept returning to): Giulio Cesare in Westbury; any Tom Schaudel restaurant like Coolfish in Syosset; Stresa in Manhasset; Rialto in Carle Place; Walk Street in Garden City for holidays including Christmas Eve; La Marmite in Williston Park for Valentine's Day; Ruths Chris in Garden City for steak."